1,000 Words or Less
by BlackJoker013
Summary: Naruto's an airbender, but not really. Starts around the end of episode three,"The Revelation"
1. Meet the New Boss

" _My quest for equality began many years ago."_

On a cold night in a city as new as it was old a young man with golden hair dressed in orange and black was running.

" _When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders."_

The young man stopped his action as he stood on the top of a factory. Taking a few steps forward he placed his hand on the side of a glass window. The glass started to vibrate as did the lock holding it in place a second latter and a click indicated that it was now open.

" _This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father."_

The young man easily slipped inside looking down he saw that the machines of fire, oil, and industry had gone cold and dormant for the night as a professional make shift stage had been erected for the evening on the center of the work floor.

" _One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did…"_

The young man jumped down as an invisible force slowed is descent and guided him on top of the stage's metal grated catwalk.

"… _that firebender took my family from me. Then, he took my face"._

Slowly walking on the catwalk the young man crouched down and watched the stage floor ignoring the crowd of spectators and the masked men wearing identical leather uniforms in favor of the hooded one lighting the stage with his words.

" _I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since."_

The young man narrowed his eyes at the mention of the man's mask clenching his fist with one hand while trying to calm it with the other.

" _As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City."_ The decorated masked man paused allowing his audience to boo and yell out their frustrations. " _And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But, she is wrong. The only thing bending has brought to the world, is suffering."_

And that's when the young man decided to upstage the showman. "You know you might be right about that!" he shouted his voice carrying out in all directions of the factory stealing everyone's attention as they looked up. The young man then took a step back and fell, falling straight down and landing right on his feet as if the twenty feet jump was nothing.

"But I think what's really bringing this world down the most, is thieves like you who take things that don't belong to them."

Amon held up his hand stopping his men from apprehending the orange and black stranger. "And tell me Mr…"

"The name's Naruto." He stated as folded his arms with a scowl. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki…as in the Uzumaki Temple strange I had assumed no one with that name still existed." Amon said as his fingers scraped along the side of his mask.

"Yeah the Uzumaki Temple were you stole that mask from the storage cabinet!" Naruto yelled.

"Yes when I was at a crossroad with the spirits guiding me to my faith. They led me towards that temple which was vacant at the time. Showing me this mask and what its visage would be as a symbol for our revolution!"

"Well pick something else then!" Naruto yelled his voice over shadowing Amon's own. "I've been running around this stupid country trying to find that thing, give it back now or I'm going to have to take it back!" he demanded as he began to crack his knuckles.

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen." Amon looked over towards the nearest Equalist soldier towards Naruto and nodded to the cannon folder. "I'm sorry you came all this way but I assure you it will not be for nothing."

And that was then things started to get interesting.

The Equalist snuck up behind the yellow hair and shot out a strike right into the young man's shoulder only for the Equalist's hand to be caught by Naruto. The momentary shock was all the young man needed as he shifted his feet and opened his free hand to launch an open palm strike right onto the Equalist's chest.

A shock wave traveled from the strike and shot out through the man's body. As Naruto released his grip on the Equalist, the man stood on his feet all for three seconds before falling to the ground as Naruto started walking towards Amon.

Amon took a step back a mistake as while most member of his audience members were looking at Naruto the rest had their eyes on Amon seeing what he would do next.

Going on their own the rest of the Equalists ran towards Naruto trying to stop him. Naruto dodged every strike and attack as if he was able to anticipate every move.

One tried to throw a pair of bolos at Naruto only for them to stop and fall in midair as Naruto just used a halt gesture to stop the projectiles without even facing them.

Another was right in the motion of thrusting a few rounds of pellets from their hands only for Naruto to raise his hand again and lower his wrist allowing a projectile to shot out from his arm. Naruto's shot broke a part turning into two sparking metal cables that wrapped around the Equalist's arm. A second latter a powerful force pulled the Equalist up and into the air and stuck to the metal catwalk. The Equalist was so flabbergasted that he dropped his own pellets that erupted onto his face choking himself unconscious.

But then came the dragon the Equalist known only as the Lieutenant step forward. His twin Eskrima fighting sticks twirled in his hands as he leaped forwards intending to take Naruto out in a downward strike only to be stopped by an invisible force.

Within Naruto's hands were nothing he just held up his paws as if he were holding a pair of batons as well but he somehow held back the Lieutenant. But even through his green tinted googles the mustached second in command could make out what looked like visible air currents circulating in his opponents hands.

"You… you're an Airbender?!" the Lieutenant said as he was starting to get pushed back.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "What was your first clue smart guy? It's in the description!

"H….how is this possible you can't be an airbender? The only airbenders alive right now are the ones related to Avatar Aang!"

Lowering his arms so the Lieutenant could see his ocean blue eyes flash fiery red for just a second Naruto growled out. "I don't know who that is and I'm really starting to get mad that every person I fought my way down here keeps saying I'm related to this guy!"

"Then where did you even come from…what are you?" Fear was reeking from every direction.

Naruto's spinning air currents were doing more than just keeping the Lieutenant at bay, the managed to cut through the metal weapons shooting out sparks in the older man's hands.

He dropped them like advanced arithmetic as Naruto jumped into the air and spun around bending his leg as he connected his foot to the side of the Lieutenant's head. Kicking enough force to launch the man off the stage and into the air as he landed right into a stage light.

The Lieutenant's charge pack and the electric wiring from the light shorted throughout his body making him cry out until he fell back down to earth.

Everyone in the factory with the Equalists, Amon, and every spectator in the audience including a young girl wearing a red scarf watched in awe as the saw the new Airbender still calmly make his way towards Amon.

Naruto looked back at Amon who was so close now Naruto could see the man's eyes as he answered the questions from before for everyone to hear. "Like I said before I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm from a brave New World."

 **To be continued.**


	2. Meet the Shadow Master

"What do you see what's going on, Boss?"

Behind the great stage were more and more Equalists were getting their teeth knocked out a group of villains were left unattended.

 _Lightning Bolt_ Zolt and the rest of his captured men of the Triple Threat Triad were trying their best to escape from their bondage. But as they shuffled around furiously Zolt remained still his eyes never leaving the stage.

"This, this isn't right." Zolt said as he continued to block everyone else's view. "Back in the old days when I was just a miserable runt no different than the rest of you I saw Avatar Aang getting his hands dirty taking out Republic City's _trash_ using that Airbending of his but this kid…"

Watching Naruto stand in one place allowing the Equalists to rush at him only for the yellow haired boy to dodge a strike to deliver a kick or to spin around in order to grab a jab and shoot out a blink and you'll miss it barrage of his own.

"…He's something else something more brutal, more direct, more dangerous. With these chi blocking mooks it's like their a bunch of halfwits trying to pick a fight with a hurricane or something."

"That's a real nice idea for a metaphor or some kind of epic poem." Shady Shin one of Zolt's recruiters whispered harshly. "But don't you think we should get out of here already!"

Zolt turned his head and gave Shin a dry look as he raised his brow. "Oh yeah and how far do you think we'll get with us being tied up as we are?"

Before Shin could give a halfhearted reply his ropes, along with Zolt's, and the other gangsters' suddenly snapped in half falling to the ground.

"Well I guess that works!" Shin said as he jumped up to his feet along with the rest of Zolt's underlings as they headed to the back door leaving Zolt himself and a young way word Earthbender behind.

"Funny you don't seem all that eager to leave?" a voice from the shadows said as a teenager with spiky black hair tied in a ponytail wearing a black uniform with a forest green vest over it walked past Zolt and the remaining Earthbender.

The teenager reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette placing in his mouth he watched the stage not looking back as he spoke again. "If I were you I'd leave before the authorities surrounded this facility. They have word that an illegal public gathering is being held here."

"You're with him aren't you?" Zolt said as he got up his face splitting into a sinister smile. "You're that Airbender's partner or something."

The teenager looked back at Zolt with his cigarette moving around his lips. "It's more like I'm his babysitter on most days."

Laughing as he held his forehead Zolt yelled out. "The two of you here in this city you're here to change things!"

Taking the tobacco out of his mouth the teen replied. "No we're just here for that hooded guy's mask actually."

"No, no after tonight nothing's going to be the same ever again, something coming something big I can feel it!" Zolt started to walk backwards before he took off laughing like a mad man screaming.

" _Sigh_ some people just can't accept that not everything as a deeper meaning" The teenager with the spiky ponytail looked back at the other remaining teenager. "Well aren't you going to escape with your boss and the other members of your gang?"

"What no there's…there's just been a little misunderstanding I'm not a criminal I'm just an athlete an entertainer really." the Earthbender said as he tried to defend himself.

The other teenager just shrugged making his way to the staging pausing to give in his two cents. "Whatever you want to call yourself doesn't matter. But you made a choice to be here if it was for money, fame, or power you choose to be in the company of criminals and almost paid the price for it. Don't try to make excuses, be a man and own up to your path."

The ponytailed teen then calmly made his way onto the stage rubbing the back of his neck as he yawned out. "This whole day's just been too troublesome."

As Naruto finished lunging forward with two open palms knocking out yet another two Equalists he pulled back without even turning around. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Shikamaru."

The lazy teenager turned around so that he was back to back with Naruto, as the last squad of Equalists circled around the two of them. "You couldn't just go with my plan to switch the mask with a fake could you? Why do you always have to do things the harder way?"

"This isn't about doing things the easy way." Naruto said firmly.

"I know, believe me for the longest time you always thought that you never had a lineage. But know that you found out your family had roots all the way down in the Old World you're trying to make sure it never becomes forgotten again and that no one perverts your inheritance. That's why you let that Amon guy escape isn't it."

Naruto relaxed stretching out as he paid his enemies no mind. "Yeah I guess but it's more like I want to kill this monster by the gut. If I just cut off the head another one's just going to take its place."

"…You got that line from that stupid movie didn't you?"

"You mean that awesome movie then yeah I did now are you going to actually help and take out these losers or am I?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes as he held his hands together and focused his mind. Thanks to the ambient lighting the stage had casted some mighty interesting shaped shadows, shadows that were rising from the ground as they were given a third dimension.

"What is this?" An Equalist shouted as he found himself unable to move. "What kind of bending is this?"

Naruto and Shikamaru ignored the panicking masked men as they continued to have their conversation.

"Most of people in the audience ran out of here when I let Amon run away." Naruto stated as he looked at the semi vacant factory. "Just finish this before the authorities find this place."

"It's already too late for that. I saw a squad of them in those motorized buggies forming a perimeter when I got here we might have to make an enemy out of them to escape this facility."

"We're ninjas Shika we invited the phrase as silent as the night."


	3. Meet the Spirits in the Attic

A full moon tonight on Air Temple Island

On one of the outdoor hallways connecting to the main buildings, Councilman Tenzin was sick with worry as he consulted with the White Lotus sentries responsible for his island's security.

The worried master calmed a bit as he saw his young ward, Avatar Korra making her way towards him.

"Thank goodness!" Tenzin exclaimed as he placed his hands on Korra's bare shoulders. "I was just about to send out a search party. Are you all right?"

Korra wordlessly shook her head as Tenzin could see a flash of nervousness in her eyes before she looked over to the horizon.

"Korra, what happened? Did you find your friend?"

"Yes, but ... "Korra took a deep breath as she placed her hands on the wooden railing. "I was at an Equalist rally I saw Amon."

"What?!" Tenzin screeched.

"But at the rally that's not all I saw. When Amon was giving his speech there was this guy, maybe around my age he jumped onto the stage and he…."

"What?" Tenzin asked more gently as he stood beside Korra.

"He fought some of Amon's men using airbending."

Korra turned her head to see Tenzin visibly I'm shocked. "Tenzin?"

"I…I." Tenzin placed a hand on his mouth. "Are you sure; are you absolutely sure this young man is an airbender?"

"I know what I saw but…"

"But what?"

"But I don't think this guy's like you or the kids. He's not an air nomad the way he was bending and fighting wasn't defensive or and he wasn't using a path of least resistance. If anything I saw him march up to every Equalist in his way and just beat them up with one or two hits."

"Well he just doesn't know any better!" Tenzin said defensively. "How could he I'm the only master level air monk in the world what this young man needs is just some proper guidance. Who knows there could even more airbenders in the world others who may benefit from my teachings. "

Korra didn't want to ruin Tenzin excitement the look on his face told the Avatar that the prospect of others like him beside his children was over whelming the middle aged man.

"Does the name Naruto or Uzumaki ring any bells?"

Tenzin stopped gushing for a second before answering. "Those two names don't sound familiar, are one of those this young man's names?"

"Both" Korra nodded. "He said his name was Naruto Uzumaki right before he knocked an Equalist out with just one palm thrust to the chest."

"Naruto Uzumaki…." Tenzin trailed off as he let the new name roll off his tongue. "We should make it our top priority to find Mr. Uzumaki and find out where he comes from and why he's…is that Ikki?"

And in the dead of night Tenzin's youngest daughter and middle child Ikki was dressed in her full body red night outfit acting very suspect as she was sneaking a tray of food from the kitchen to one of the empty storage grounds.

"Ikki?" Tenzin had scooted over towards his daughter without the young girl knowing as she yelped and almost dropped the tray. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Oh hi Daddy!" she said cheerfully as the young Airbender tried her best to hid the tray behind her back. "I couldn't sleep sooooo I was just talking a moon lite stroll."

"Really and what were you planning to do with this." It had been a two person attack as Korra snuck behind the little girl and swiftly boosted the tray from Ikki's gasp.

Turning around angrily Ikki tried to jump as best she could without bending in order to reclaim the food. "That's mine Korra give it back!"

"Look at all this stuff." Korra stated as she lowered the tray with one hand while pushing a charging Ikki's forehead back with the other. "You got a lot of interesting goodies here. You can't eat all of this who's the rest of it for?"

"More likely what's it for." Tenzin folded his arms as he looked down at Ikki sternly. "Young lady were you plaining to feed any animals you have hiding in the storage block?"

"No Daddy, honest!" Ikki said turning around to face her father. "I was just going to place it for an offering to the two spirits living in top of the building." She pointed over towards the domed top of said building.

"Spirits?" Tenzin asked skeptically. "How long have spirits been occupying that part of the island?"

"Yeah" Korra added as she looked from the tray to the building. "And what kind of spirits accepts noodle soup as an offering?"

"I guess the orange kind with yellow hair." Ikki said innocently as she looked towards the tower as well.

"Wait…what did you say?"

* * *

 **Undisclosed Location**

Sitting on the floor of a well lite and well-furnished room behind a floor desk Shikamaru typed away on a laptop computer pausing every so often to look out the window for a moment right before getting back to his work.

While on the other side of the room sitting next to the floor Naruto was busy too, as mashed his thumbs furiously on a handheld gaming system.

"Do you have to play that thing with the sound on?" Shikamaru asked without looking away from his screen.

"The sounds make is more fun." Naruto retorted. "Can't you just but some headphones on or something?"

Shikamaru placed his hand on the top of his computer and lowered it. "I'm writing up our latest mission report to Lady Tsunade you know. Do you want me to include the part where you let the mask get away from us tonight or do you want to keep quite so I can finish this up?"

Naruto shuttered in fear as he ran a finger on the volume wheel. He then rolled his eyes towards the cable connected from the computer that ran all over the room and out through the open window. "Do you think that satellite you put on the roof is going to hold?" he said referring to what was at the end of the cable.

"What? No, don't worry about that. Just be sure to take it down in the morning so no one will see the dish."

Naruto let out a laugh as he went back to his game. "Oh yeah, like anyone's going to find out that we've been up here for the last couple of days. These people don't even have televisions."

It was in that moment the floor door swung open and Councilman Tenzin stuck his head through the opening.

"What in the world?!" the middle aged man cried out as he looked at the two squatters in his home.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru who looked back at Naruto only to give a nonchalant shrug and went back to his typing.

Naruto on the other hand got off the ground and decided to react in a more appropriate way. "Who dares intrude on us?" he asked in a chilling voice as he waved his hand and wiggled his fingers in front of Tenzin. "Leave now mortal or I shall do this to you."

Using the same wiggling hand Naruto placed it right in front of a wall and concentrated after a few seconds past his hand started to vibrate, far faster than possible for a normal human.

And then the imposable happened as Naruto's hand went right through the wall as if he really were a phantasm!

"You, you really are a spirit!" Tenzin shouted as he fell backwards and Korra who was climbing the ladder behind him.

"Oh no what did I just do!" Naruto cried out in horror as he looked down the opening and over towards Shikamaru. "They had the food with them!"


	4. Meet the New Map

"So you the two of you are from another world?"

Sitting around Tenzin's dining table Naruto and Shikamaru sat at one end while Korra and Tenzin sat at the other.

Shikamaru was busy typing away on his computer, Naruto just sat at attention his handheld game on the table untouched, Tenzin sat solemnly as had been the one to ask the question, while Korra was busy trying to get the giant bruise on her master's head to go down with some Waterbending healing.

"Well when I said a new world on the stage I was being…" Naruto looked at Shikamaru as he paused. "Ah what's that fancy word for being dramatic?"

"Facetious."

"Yeah that's it facetious; we're actually from the western part of the planet." Naruto stated.

Korra lowered her hands as she looked confused. "What do you mean by that exactly, the western part?"

"He means we're from the Western Hemisphere." Shikamaru typed a few commands on his laptop as he spun the computer around the table to show the Avatar what was on it.

"You see this map?" he said showing Korra a map of the world that she had seen before dozens of times. "This is where we are right now in the Eastern Hemisphere or as we like to call it The Old World." With one click the map on the screen extended showing a whole other continent about a little more than half the size of the Earth Kingdom along with a cluster of islands around the lower right side of the land mass. "And this is where the two of us come from the Western Hemisphere."

"That…that's not possible!" Tenzin had scooted over towards the side of the table next to Shikamaru as he looked at the electronic map. "There have been many map makers and explores in either of our lifetimes how could they miss something as significant as this?"

"Well do you know what the equator is?" Shikamaru asked in a dull tone.

Tenzin gave the young man his patent grumpy old man face as a response. "Yes Mr. Nara I'm well aware of what the equator is."

"Well just like how the equator runs horizontally on the planet there's another one the runs vertically." Shikamaru showed Tenzin with another click thanks to his atlas program. "We don't exactly have an official name for it but it's often referred to as the Time Jump."

"Because when you go through it, it's like you traveled into the past." Naruto said. "When he first came here Gramps wrote down in his journal that you people didn't even have electricity yet."

Shikamaru turned towards Naruto as he sighed out. "Actually people call it the Time Jump because you have to set your watch forward by one hour when you cross it."

"I'm sorry but I still don't understand." Tenzin said looking over the map. "I know for a fact that if you travel west from the Fire Nation you are heading towards the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom not across another Equator into a country called the Land of Lightning."

"Well there's a reason for that." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah you're not cool enough to get in." Naruto snickered only for a shadow to rise right behind him and smack him upside the head. "Ouch!"

"Naruto, why don't you wait outside?" Shikamaru asked in frustration as he began to rub his head in frustration. "I'm trying to lay some form of diplomacy here."

Naruto huffed but said nothing as he grabbed his game and began walking out the room.

"Wait a minute!" Korra yelled as she got up as well. "I want to know where you two come from just as much as Tenzin but I want to know how you just did that Shadowbending just now!"

"Well to save time how about you show Mr. Uzumaki around temple, Korra." Tenzin suggested. "Show him what else this island has to offer besides the storage unit these two were staying in."

Korra nodded as she opened the door for Naruto as the two of them headed outside.

Now alone with the older master Shikamaru flipped his computer back around. "Just so you know neither Naruto nor I have authorization to tell you everything we can about ourselves or that much about our home, just common knowledge that the average person back in our land is aware of."

Tenzin didn't say anything but from Shikamaru's demeanor it was obvious that he from some branch in a military service. Vagueness was their native tongue after all. "I understand but tell me how come I've never even heard of another world that wasn't the Spirit World?"

"…Spirit World?" Shikamaru played the keys on his computer again until an answer popped up on the screen. "Oh you're referring to the Realm of Tulpas."

Tenzin began to stoke his beard as he sighed. "I have a feeling we're both in for a case of culture shock."

* * *

"So what is that think you've been playing with anyway?" Korra asked as she and Naruto sat outside the courtyard on the steps leading up towards the main house.

"First you want to know where me and Shika are from, then how he can move and control shadows, and now you want to know what a Game Guy is?" Naruto stated all of this without ever looking away from his tiny screen.

"Well can you blame me?" Korra said scooting over towards Naruto. "I mean I'm the Avatar I'm supposed to at least be able to visit a whole other part of this world no one's ever been to."

Naruto raised his with a raised eyebrow. "What's an Av-a-tar is that like being a kage?"

"You don't know what the avatar is?" Korra asked.

Naruto looked back from his game and then towards Korra before handing it to her. "Here you give it a try."

Korra took the giant piece of electronic plastic as she looked at the colored see saw a tiny man dressed in black garb holding a silver stick while standing in the middle of a open field. "I…I don't know what you want me to do with this."

"It's called Ninja Golf." Naruto explained while pointing at the game "You control the ninja and the first thing you have to do is try and hit that ball towards that flag, press the arrow pad to move him and the green button to put the club."

Korra held the game closer as she followed Naruto's instructions and let her ninja's golf ball sail over a sand trap and close to the green. "Hey I made the tiny man shoot the ball!" Korra stated with a smile only to frown in confusion again. "Now what?"

"You still have to sink the ball in the hole, use the arrow pad to go right while you use the blue button to attack the other ninjas who get in your way."

Naruto had to hold back a giant laugh as he watched Korra squirm and thrash around as if her psychical actions where helping her advance further in the game.

"You know what your little gizmo's pretty fun." Korra said as she settled down a bit

"Yeah well tell Shikamaru that all he wants to do for fun is playing Shogi he says board games translate better in real life then video games." Naruto said as he placed his chin on the palm of his propped up arm.

"Video games, is that what this thing is?" Korra's smiled faded briefly. As fun as this new toy was she still wanted her answers but there wasn't a rule she could play the game while talking. "So this place you're from how exactly do you get there?"

Naruto removed his head from his chin and held up his hand. "Well the easiest was would be to show you."

Korra stopped playing briefly to see Naruto stare at his hand intensely as it started to vibrate, a second latter it was moving so fast it looked like a blur. "You see the key to entering the West is to have someone like open the intangible gate."

"Someone…. like you?" Korra asked still pressing buttons while watching Naruto.

"Yeah someone who can move fast, fast enough to slip through the hold of the earth, fast enough to dip trough the void, fast enough to for just a flash become the wind."

 **AN: Ninja Golf's a real game own it now for Atari 7800, Google it.**


	5. Meet the Voice in the Night

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"I said what are you doing?"

A day and a half had passed since Naruto and Shikamaru were discovered in the attic. Not much was done by either of them Shikamaru had finished most of his belated bureaucracy electronic paper work while Naruto just spent the day lounging around.

Which was were the yellow haired trouble maker was now leaning against a railway as he ate an apple and watched Korra trying to perform her basic Airbending stance.

"You've been out here watching me for at least half an hour." Korra said as she dropped her stance. "And you're asking me now what it is I'm doing?"

"Well yeah." Naruto said as he spat some of his apple out. "I was trying to guess but I can't really tell."

"I'm doing my basic Airbending stances, you know so I when I meet resistance I'll be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Korra said rather sarcastically as she nodded her head side to side, repeating Tenzin's instructions.

Naruto looked back at Korra with a funny look before he muttered something under his breath and looked away.

"What is it?" Korra asked.

"It's….it's nothing forget it."

"Come on it's not nothing a second ago you didn't even know what the beginning Airbending movements looked like. Back in the South do you use a different method?

"Well…" Naruto took a pause as he looked up in thought while he tossed his half eaten apple in the air a couple of times. "I guess I won't get in trouble if I just tell you something that you could just get out of a scroll at the public library…"

Catching his apple a final time Naruto lowered his head as he lined his sites with Korra's. "Ok let me ask you this the night I kicked those Equalist guys asses you were there right?"

"Yeah I was with my friend Mako and we were looking for…"

"You don't have paint a picture for me." Naruto interrupted getting Korra to let out an irritated grunt. "I'm just asking if you saw me fight."

Korra nodded her head silently for her answer.

"Ok then when I was met with resistance, did I change the direction I was going?"

Thinking back Korra frowned as she shook her head. "No, no you didn't. You just did the opposite you either deflected or redirected your opponent instead!" She yelled out the last part as her brain's neurons were clicking together.

"That's because when you control the wind you control which way the current goes. You can also spread out your attacks to unleash brute force or…"

Naruto tossed his apple up in the air higher than before as he held out two fingers. Closing his eyes he didn't move an inch as the apple started to fall back down to the earth. And just as it passed Naruto's head the piece of fruit was sliced in half as it touched the paved ground.

"…you can focus your power into a keen precision increasing the cutting power of any sharp surface." Naruto showed the back of his hand along with two sharp finger nails on his index and middle finger as he put his hand down.

Korra didn't know what to think or do at this moment. All of a sudden she was back to this morning talking to Tenzin right before he headed off to some big meeting that was going to take more than half his day.

" _When I get back Korra I expect either you or the children to tell Naruto everything you can on Air Nomad culture. Just think if I can convince him to take back Avatar Aang's teachings to his home land Naruto might be able to create a new Air Temple in the West."_

Suddenly Korra's mind flashed to last night were she saw Naruto casually walking towards Amon as he tossed around the hooded masked men around like they were nothing, as if he could do anything.

And then the two memory started flashing back and forth at a faster rate.

" _Tell Naruto everything can on Air Nomad culture."_

Naruto, shattering an Equalist with one palm trust.

" _Take back Avatar Aang's teachings to his home land."_

Naruto creating enough force with just a kick a in order to launch a full grown man into the air and crash right into a stage light.

Finally Korra stopped her mind from racing by using her open hands to lightly slap her cheeks.

Taking in a deep breath Korra looked behind her seeing the wooden Airbending tool that taught the fundamental aspect of Tenzin's style of bending.

And then she looked ahead down at the sliced apple that laid next to Naruto's feet the result of his more weaponized style of bending, a style Korra could feel deep in her heart that she would better able to understand and learn.

"Naruto I have a proposition for you..."

The sound of static coming from the radio had cut the Avatar of from completing her request. Just a moment ago it had been playing pleasant background music for Korra's training as it sat on top of the railing Naruto was leaning against. But that was not the case now a dark voice pierced the air waves.

 **" _Good evening, my fellow Equalists."_**

That voice had capture Korra's attention now as her eyes slowly drifted towards it in curiosity.

 **" _This is your leader, Amon."_**

"Oh come on that's not even your real name!" Naruto shouted at the radio as he looked back at Korra. "That's the name of the yōkai general whose essence one of my ancestors trapped inside that mask he stole."

"Y..Yōkai general ?"

 **" _You may have heard by now of rumors circulating around the city that our last rally was interrupted by two mysterious teenage boys. A yellow haired Airbender and one who has the ability to bend the shadows."_**

"Shikamaru!" Naruto called out to the side as his rather easy going travel companion slowly came through the doors of the building the railing was connected to as he walked down the same stone stairs, his eyes never leaving the laptop in his hands.

"Yeah, yeah I'm on it." The shadow master said as he stood next to the radio and typed away.

 _ **"I have come to tell you on this night that these rumors are indeed true, and that these two benders are nothing to worry about…."**_

Shikamaru turned his computer to Naruto showing what he'd been working on before. He then handed Naruto a headset that he connected to his machine. "Alright asshole let's see how you like it."

* * *

At a closed construction site on the tallest tower crane, a radio transmitter was planted at the top of the equipment. At the ground level in the portable foreman's office a group of men were huddled around each other as their leader spoke.

 _ **"…It doesn't matter if there if one of these boys is somehow related to Avatar Aang or that that there are benders in this world who can control elements outside of the four we are familiar with."**_ Amon said calmly into a microphone while standing right beside his Equalist henchman who operated the radio.

 _ **"These two, the leaders of the Triads along with the Republic Council are all cut from the same cloth. Oppressors on in all , who will stop at nothing to quash our revolution, but we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear…"**_

As Amon pulled the mic away from his face he slowly turned his right looking at his faithful right hand, the Lieutenant who was now sporting a sling that supported his right arm along with a few bandages wrapped around his head. But even with such heavy injuries he was able to will the strength to nod his head towards his leader.

 _ **"…The time has come for benders to experience fear."**_ Amon said as he looked forward again and placed his mic down on the desk silently telling the radio operator he was done.

With a flip of the switch the signal the Equalists were riding on went to static as the operator started to turn the equipment off. "And we're off that was a truly inspirational speech, sir."

The other Equalists agreed as well by nodding or muttering so.

"And what did you think, Lieutenant?" Amon asked wanting his opinion.

"I think that yellow haired punk better watch out because the next time I see him I'm taking him out myself." The Lieutenant said with such disdain he almost started shaking.

"You will, old friend in due time." Amon reassured him. "But because of our little Airbender friend's stunt the other night I wasn't able to display my ultimate weapon to the world." The white masked man said clutching his fist. "But he along with the rest of the benders of this city will soon see the era of Equality."

"You should all get going." The radio operated stated. "I can take the equipment down myself so there's no reason to…

 ** _"HEY IS THIS THING ON!_ "** a voice bellowed through the same radio channel as the Equalists were just using.

All the heads in the trailer snapped right towards the speaker as another voice ran through it.

 _ **"Ok listen up Republic City I have something to say!"**_ the voice had dropped down in volume allowing Amon to identify the owner behind it.

"It's him!" the Lieutenant shouted. "Is he here?!" Amon quieted the frantic man with just a raised hand as he wanted to hear what the voice was going to say.

 _ **"For those of you who weren't at that stupid, not so secret rally last night my name is Naruto Uzumaki. And I'm here to tell you all that you're all that these Equalist people are a bunch of morons!"**_

Before they could saw anything Amon raised his hand again wanting to know what Naruto was going to say next.

 _" **They think because they learned how to walk in the shadows that they're some sort of cool group of anti-hero rebels who thing they can fight off the evil empire just because they rally behind a two bit thief wearing a mask that doesn't even belong to him."**_

Amon slowly walked closer to the speaker hanging onto everyone of Naruto's words as he did.

 _ **"You hear that Amon which I know for a fact isn't your real name I'm coming for you. But just to be clear this isn't a declaration of war, this isn't a challenge to a one on one fight hell this isn't even a promise. This is my vacation and how I'm choosing to spend it."**_

…Ok what?

 _ **"That's right you, your army and everything your people believe in is nothing more to me than passing some time while I can go back to work which will happen in two weeks. You have exactly that much time before I bring your whole world crashing down on you and erase every ounce of your existence from this land."**_

"Ok who does that arrogant little prick think he's messing with!"

"Lieutenant!"

"But Amon."

"Be quiet!" the Equalist leader shouted. "I want to know how this ends."

* * *

Back on Air temple island the White Lotus sentries, the members of Tenzin's family and Korra all watched as Naruto spoke into his headset while Shikamaru transmitted his words into the sky.

" _ **To the other members of the Equalist club house I'm only going to offer you this now. You have an out leave your stupid gimp suits in the trash put on some real clothes and get a job to support yourself and your families because if you keep playing solider I'm going to treat you like soldiers as in I'll do more than just brake you the next time you stand in the way of me and your boss."**_

Shikamaru twirled his finger in the air telling Naruto to rap his little show up.

 **"If you still need convincing that I'm someone who you really don't want as your enemy then listen up. My name is Naruto Uzumaki the Living Weapon of the Village Hidden within the Leaves. At the age of twelve I punched a typhoon so hard I was called the Storm Breaker in the North. At fifteen a fought of an entire squadron of marauding mercenaries for one hour before I laid ever last man into the ground forever being known as the one-man army in the south. And here in the east I'll be called Oathkeeper after I hold my word that by the end of my little trip I'll take back my family's mask from that thief's bleeding face and show you all what real fear truly is, believe it."**


	6. Meet the Guest for Tonight's Dinner

In the heart of industrial part of Republic City the pro-bender Mako of the Fire Ferrets walked out of one of the city's power plants having just completed a heavy draining shift at the public works.

Flapping one end of his signature red scarf over his shoulder the young man tiredly lifted his head to see that the trolley heading towards the pro-bending arena was already boarding. Having no time for safety the firebender had foregone the crosswalk and didn't even bother to look both ways as he was about to cross the road only to be pulled back on the sidewalk a second later.

"Hey, what's the big….." Mako stopped his outcry just as he saw a motorist on a scooter wiz right past him. "…idea?"

"The idea was to keep you from becoming road kill, Mr. Hat trick."

Mako immediately frowned as he turned around pulling his scarf out of the clutches of Shady Shin.

"What I don't get a thank you for saving your life, Mr. Big Time Athlete." Shin sneered from ear to ear as he pulled the sides of his jacket and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Alright thanks now what do you want?" Whatever it was Mako knew he wasn't going to like the gangsters answer.

"Straight to the point as usual nice to know you haven't really changed that much after all these years, Kid."

Mako folded his arms as he started walking away. "I'm out of here."

"No! Wait a second, Mako!" Shin popped right in front of the firebender holding out his arms to stop him only to take a step back to appear none threatening and place his hands at his sides again. "Zolt and the leaders of the other Triads are having another big meet tomorrow night, and he wants you and your brother there."

"Are you serious? Don't you remember what happened the last time they all tried something like that?" Mako asked rhetorically.

"This times going to be different!" Shin shouted in a harsh whisper as he leaned in closer. "It's just a tighter gathering. Just the bosses and only a few lower tier guys like you, me, and your brother."

"Wait you want Bolin to be involved in this again? Explain to me how this is going to be different?" Mako again was speaking rhetorically.

Shin looked side to side his paranoia not really selling his pitch. "Because Zolt's not the one who's hosting the meeting this time, it's the two co-bosses of the Agni Kais"

"The co-bosses you mean the Sisters?" Mako asked.

"That's right." Shin nodded "Come on you know their reputation. They're both as smart as they are hot, literally." He added with a suggested grin.

"Yeah I know about them. They're supposed to be really cautious all ways two steps ahead of everyone else." Mako looked Shin in the eyes as he asked. "But why do you want me and Bo there, we don't work for you or the Triple Threats anymore no matter how much Bolin back peddled last time."

"Not me Kid, its Zolt. Since your brother got snatched up with the rest of us the old man trusts him and you not to go squealing about this to some Equalist to make some fast cash."

And then it clicked. "So that's what this second throw down's about, the Equalists?"

"No duh! That's what the first sit down was about only this time we know what to expect from them. Come on how long you think you and Bolin can sit at home minding your own business until suddenly one of those masked freaks knocks on your door to finish whatever it was Amon was going to do the other night if that crazy Airbender kid and his shadowbending pal hadn't of stopped him."

Shin took a step closer and whispered the one thing he knew for sure that would push Mako into coming. "How far are you willing to go so you can protect your little brother?"

Mako took a deep breath as he really was looking for a reason to decline….but he couldn't

"If and I mean a really big if, we do this we're only going along with this because of the Equalists not to any loyalties or favors to you, Zolt, or any other criminal there."

Shin let out a sigh as he ran his hand over his greased hair. "Come on Mako use your head do you think Lighting Bolt Zolt, The Dragon Eyed Twins and Mitsubishi Mammoth would be in the same room with each other and not try to kill one another if it wasn't important?"

"Yeah you have a…wait I thought Mitsubishi Mammoth was in jail." Mako said referring to the hulking leader of the Red Monsoon Triade.

Shin just shrugged. "He's Mitsubishi Mammoth. He probably ate his shackles and half the prison before anyone realized he'd escape."

* * *

"What do you mean I couldn't afford it?"

"Well you're the one who said all your life people have just handed you things and you don't really need money or own anything."

"Yeah well that's because people usually find helping the Avatar reward enough!"

Sitting around the dining room table again Naruto, Korra, and Shikamaru sat at one end of the table, while Tenzin sat right across from them and his children Jinora, Ikki and Meelo sat across on the sides from one another.

"Korra you have to understand that Naruto and I come from a village were almost all of its citizens are basically soldiers for hire." Shikamaru stated. "While there's no way anyone outside of our village could learn our most advanced teachings, no matter who they are!"

Shikamaru pumped up the volume on the last part in order to stop Korra from interrupting him. "You can hire one of us to teach you the basics of wind manipulation for a fee. Either by placing down payments lesson to lesson until you complete the basics or by paying at least for the price of a B rank mission."

"Ok how much would that be?" Korra asked.

"That depends we can't accept any paper currency from foreign countries." Shikamaru stated as he closed his eyes. "It has to be in payments of precious metals or gems, natural resources such as, livestock, vegetation, or even in barrels of crude oil."

"Huh I'm surprised you didn't need to check your precious laptop to know all that stuff about our barter agreements." Naruto said as he was looking around for said machine.

"You know that using a laptop isn't something that defines my character as a person right? The times you saw me with it I was legitimately using it to ether write a report or broadcasting your little rant over the air ways."

"So you weren't trying to be the like the computer guy?" Naruto asked rather skeptically. "Because I thought you were trying something different then your lazy guy persona."

"I was just using trying to be the responsible guy, who happened to be using a tool that he checked out from the library before leaving for your little revenge trip."

"Ah excuse me I don't mean to interrupt but regarding Korra's tuition I might know of a way to pay for it" Jinora spoke up chiming into the conversation. "We have a bountiful garden filled with a cornucopia of flora." The young girl turned to her father. "Daddy, do you think we could give some of our crops to Naruto for Korra's lessons?"

Tenzin looked rather taken back by that request. "There's nothing wrong with Korra learning the traditional style of Airbending. In fact I was hoping Naruto would sit in for a few sessions so he can now more about our culture. It won't cost a thing except for time and patience."

Naruto stayed silent for a while, twiddling his thumbs over a calculator before saying. "Ok two things, number one I don't really want to know more about your culture. I don't want to be rude it's just that I don't really have an interest in other people's cultures in general. I don't even have any interest in fully understanding my own which is also the reason that I almost flunked out of school."

Naruto saw from the corner of his eye that Shikamaru was giving him a disappointed look. "Oh don't look so high and mighty back at the academy your grades were a low as mine. And number two I just did math and in order to pay for the price of a B-rank mission you'd have to give us ninety-one thousand, six hundred twenty-two Yuans and seventy-nine cents."

Shikamaru's eyes widened uncharacteristically as he stared at Naruto. "I don't believe it."

"What that I'm actually good at math?"

"No that your dumb ass actually knows how to use a calculator."

Naruto for the life of him wasn't angry as he held a Zen like expression before sighing out. "You know its times like this I really miss Saskue."

"Who's Saskue?" Korra asked as she like everyone else in the room were confused by the two mercenary's banter.

"He was an old team mate of mine." Naruto said fondly as he looked down at the table.

"Yeah he and Naruto had a real will they or won't they kill each other dynamic." Shikamaru said getting everyone else more lost. "Their whole working relationship consisted of insults and violence...kind of like my parent's marriage."

"Y…yes well." Tenzin tried to clear is throat to get the conversation back on topic. "Jinora I'm afraid we can't afford to give Naruto or his village over ninety thousand yuans worth of our crops given that winter will soon be upon us. I'm afraid we simply can't afford to spend them on such trivial things."

"But I don't understand how is it trivial if the end result is for Korra to be a full realized Avatar." Jinora defended.

"It's just as well, Book Worm." Naruto said to Jinora as he stretched his arms on the table like a cat. "I don't really feel like playing teacher right now anyways."

While Jinora gave Naruto a very irritated look Pema, Tenzin's wife and mother to his children entered to room carrying with her tonight's dinner. "I hope everyone brought their appetite."

As Pema finished placing the last dish and sat next to her husband, Tenzin looked around the room addressing everyone. "Why don't we all just eat this wonderful meal together in peace and then we can discuss who's teaching who what, for latter."

But just as Tenzin began a dinner prayer someone entered the dining room through the open doorway. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Councilman Tarrlok dressed in his best outfit smiled as Tenzin got off the ground and faced his political rival. "This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner."

That didn't diminish Tarrlok at all. "Good, because I am absolutely famished. Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?"

Hearing that fact Naruto whispered. "I was kind of wondering why he hadn't kicked us out yet or at least made us start paying rent." Towards Shikamaru.

However do to their close proximity Korra heard that too. "Well that's because some people aren't money hungry jerks who only care about themselves."

"If you want to learn something so badly how about we find out how many smacks to the head your brain can take before you black out you over privileged bit…"

"Ah, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honor." Tarrlok said as he stood right next to the three teenagers having cut off Naruto and ending his own pissing contest with Tenzin.

"I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe." As he introduced himself the Northern waterbender bowed to Korra who shoved Naruto as she got up and bowed right back.

"Nice to meet you." Korra said as she and Tarrlok sat back down but not before Korra shoved Naruto again only for the yellow haired trouble maker to shove her right back.

"What are you doing?" Korra whispered.

"I'm just sitting what are you doing?" Naruto whispered back.

"You know what I'm doing. The question is what are you doing?" Korra reflected.

"I'm the one who's trying to sit stop acting like a crazy person and sit normally like a normal person you , she beast."

All Shikamaru could do was watch the two of them thinking. " _Oh dear whatever celestial being watching over us right now , he found a female Saskue substitute."_

"Why do you have three ponytails?" Ikki asked Tarrlok just as Naruto and Korra quieted down.

"Yeah that is pretty weird." Naruto said as he lifted one of Tarrlok's ponytails pulling it along with the older man's head. "Can you control them when you're in a fight? Like one can wrap around a person's arms holding them in place while the other chokes them around the neck and the third one holds a knife or something?"

"Certainly not!" Tarrlok shrieked as he pulled his hair out of Naruto's hands.

Ikki then took a big whiff in Tarrlok's direction. "He also smells like a lady."

Naruto who essentially shifted his body around in order to switch seats with Korra got real into Tarrlok's personal space as he started sniffing around too. "Ah man, Loud Mouth's right you smell like you got sprayed by an animal and tried to hide it by dosing yourself with your grandma's perfume."

"Hey you can't talk like that!" Jinora shouted.

"Thank you." Tarrlok said scooting away from Naruto. "It's nice to know that there are some young people in this room with…"

"Don't call my sister a Loud Mouth, her name is Ikki!" Jinora shouted cutting off Tarrlok who had slumped his head a bit.

"Look I'm not exactly the best when it comes to learning funny names alright, Book Worm."

"And that's another thing stop calling me that as well." Jinora demanded. "My name is Jinora and my sister's name is Ikki. We took the time to learn your name Naruto the least you can do is call us by ours."

"She's right!" Ikki added on. "And what about our brother are you going to call him Gas Bag because Meelo's such a goofy sounding name!"

"Hey take that back Ikki." Meelo shouted as he pointed an accusing finger at his sister.

"Oh please I wouldn't call your brother Gas Bag." Naruto said.

"Really thanks." Meelo smiled at Naruto.

"No you're not getting it. I wouldn't call you Gas Bag because you don't deserve a name like it." Naruto got almost everyone to look at him in confusion. "You call those little toots you've been leaking out all night farts? Please, I bet you don't even know how to make a sneaky squeaker let alone preform the cup a spell technique."

Meelo took in a deep breath as stars occupied his eyes. "Are….you…telling….me….that…fartbending….IS **REAL?** "

Naruto took a small sip of tea as he looked ahead in boredom. "Yes"

"Teach me, teach me!" Meelo screamed as both drool and snot oozed out of him as he climbed on top of the table and started crawling towards Naruto.

Even tough he wasn't heading towards him Tarrlok realed back in disgust as the little boy got closer, Naruto however was surprisingly calm as he just held up a table cloth and wiped Meelo's face once he got in close enough. "Sorry Little Man but I'm not aloud unless you or your parents pay me the money first."

As he pulled the cloth away Naruto actually looked back at Meelo's disappointed face with empathy.

Korra folded her arms as she looked back at Naruto "Now you're just being selfish, he's just a little kid."

"Rules are rules." Shikamaru said as he leaned back. "But if it makes you feel any better ninjas who take on missions only make twenty to thirty percent of the take the rest goes towards our village's treasury."

"What on earth are you children taking about?!" Tarrlok shouted as he had lost both his cool and his patience. "All this arguing about…about flatulence how can the two of you just sit there and stand for this?"

He of course was referring to Tenzin and Pema who both just practically leaned back and watched as Tarrlok sat there festering in the stew of adolescence.

"It's best just to let the children settle these arguments by themselves." Pema said as she quietly took a sip of tea.

"Yes after all we airbenders are known more than just our famous hospitality of never turning away hungry guests." Tenzin said throwing Tarrlok's self-invite to diner back at him. "We also allow our children to form a proper dialogue on their own I suppose you could saw air nomads are the pioneers of free ranch parenting."

"Ah excuse me, Councilman Tarrlok?"

Tarrlok with one quick deep breath lost the twitch in his eye as he turned his head and smiled politely at Korra who was the one trying to get his attention.

"I don't want to sound impolite but it kind of sounds like you don't really stop by the Air Temple for dinner that often." Korra stated just as she pulled Meelo off the table and sat the rowdy child on her lap.

"Oh well you're quite right about that Avatar Korra you see I actually came here to ask for your hand."

"W...What?"

The room suddenly fell silent as all eyes were shifting between Tarrlok and a very red faced Korra.

And right on time Naruto was the first one to break the silence. "You know shouldn't you ask Korra on a date first and get to know more about her before asking her a question like that."

"In my opinion you should at least live together first." Shikamaru said as added his two cents.

"But what about love?" Jinora asked. "You shouldn't ask someone to marry you unless the two of you love each other, right?"

"Korra say no!" Ikki demanded as she looked straight at Tarrlok. "He's a weirdo who smells funny and's going to probably braid your hair with three ponytails; your hair barely looks good in one."

"Everyone stop!" Korra shouted at the top of her lungs. "I'm sure that Councilman Tarrlok didn't mean..." Korra paused briefly to glare at Ikki for the attack on her hair style before continuing. "...what you all are thinking when he asked me for my hand…..right?" she asked the last part rather nervously as she wasn't really sure herself as she placed her arms on Naruto's right and tried to use him as a cootie shield.

Tarrlok frantically waved his hands "Yes of course forgive me for not being clearer I meant no disrespect, Avatar Korra. But I wasn't referring to marriage when I said I wanted your hand. "

"Then you came here to take her actually hand, like cut it off! Quick everyone hide the knives and form a human chain around Korra!"

Korra placed a hand on Meelo's mouth and nodded for Tarrlok to go on.

"I meant I came here tonight to ask Avatar Korra to lend her hand in stopping the Equalists once and for all by joining a special task force I'm putting together!" Tarrlok shouted in one breath not wanting to get cut off again.

"What?!" Tenzin shouted shouted from across the room as Pema placed a hand on top of his to center her hubby's anger.

"Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you just came here wasting your time." Naruto spoke out as he looked down at the food still sitting on the table and then asked Tenzin. "Can we eat now I'm starting to get hungry?"

Tarrlok didn't look distort as he calmly looked back at Naruto. "Ah yes Mr. Uzumaki I didn't forget about you. I heard the reports on how you stormed your way into Amon's rally, taking out multiple members of this so called revolution and then declaring over the air waves that you 're going to wage a one man war against the man and all of his forces."

"Me against all the members of that thief's little club house isn't what I'd call a war."

"Oh then what would you call it then?" Tarrlok asked.

"Pest control"

Korra looked back and forth from Tarrlok and Naruto before asking the yellow haired teen. "You have note cards don't you? That say all of your zippy one liners, right?"

Naruto's only response to that was a shrug.

"Yes well all these zippy one liners aside you'll have to forgive me if I don't place my faith in one rouge airbender _which I must admit I'm curious how you are one_ taking down Amon all on his own more seriously."

Naruto let out a laugh as he didn't even bother to look up at Tarrlok. "Let me tell you a story…"

"Oh please don't mention _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._ " Shikamaru said really fast under his breath as he buried his head in the table

"It's called _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_." Naruto said rather proudly as he pulled out a copy of the paperback edition from his pocket and slid it over towards the councilman.

Taking said book Tarrlok actually looked at it in interest as pocketed it for latter. "Yes well if you think you can stand against Amon all on your own by all means I would love to see you try. But as for you Avatar Korra about the task force."

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to pass on that." Korra said as she took a sip of her tea.

"Seriously?" Tarrlok asked rather exhaustingly as tonight had taken an emotional beating on his psyche.

"Yes seriously?" Tenzin asked as well having staying out of it for the most part.

"Trust me if this was a few months from now I'd totally want to take Amon out myself." Korra slammed her fist into her palm to hammer in her point. "But the thing is I came to Republic City to finish my airbending training one way…" she momentarily glanced at Tenzin. "….or the other." Her eyes then flashed towards Naruto. "Right now, I just need to focus on that."

"But..but this would be the perfect opportunity. You would get on the job experience while performing your Avatar duty for the city." Tarrlok countered.

"I thought being the Avatar was a spiritual job like being a priest or something?" Naruto asked as he looked at Korra. "Not running around chasing two bit punks like that thief, you know unless he's like a vampire or a ghost or something else supernatural like that."

Tenzin was starting to lose his patience as watching Tarrlok suffer from the children's antics was starting to lose his charm. "Korra gave you her answer. It's time for…wait a moment what is a vampire?" Tenzin asked losing his train of thought.

"Something cool that teenage girls ruined." Naruto said. "I'll tell you all about it later just kick him out already I'm starving remember."

"Ah yes, It's time for you to go." Tenzin said towards Tarrlok.

"Very well, I don't know how much longer I can stand being in this mad house." He said the last part under his breath with only Naruto's wiggling ears picking that up.

"But, I'm not giving up on you just yet." Tarrlok said as he waved his finger at Korra. "You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a most unforgettable encounter, Avatar Korra."

And with that Tarrlok got up, bowed at Korra and took his leave but not before hearing.

"Bye, bye ponytail man!" From both Naruto and Ikki, who in turn looked at each other and laughed.

"You know I get the feeling he didn't mean unforgettable in a good way." Korra said as she started to pass the dish in front of here around.

"No kidding and I don't care what he said marriage proposal or not I'm pretty sure that Tarrlok guy wants to at least get you to ride him all the way down to Pound Town, can you pass the veggie rolls?"

Just as Korra was about to whoop a certain ninja beat her to it as another shadow came to life and smacked Naruto upside the head.

"Ouch, Shikamaru!"

"What? You went a little to far that time." Shikamaru was pretty sure that was something Naruto picked up from Lord Jiraiya.

"Naruto Uzumaki a little slap from a magical shadow will be the least of your worries if I ever hear you use that kind of language in front of my children again!" Pema shouted sternly at Naruto as only a mother could.

Not one to ever upset an older woman especially a pregnant one Naruto bowed his head and narrowed his eyes at a sneering Korra who was mentally laughing at his double scolding.

"But between you and me." Pema said quietly to Tenzin. "That Councilman Tarrlok's a real douche bag.


	7. Meet the New Standard of Excellence

"Excuse me."

Two male air acolytes who had been walking down a hall together turned around to see that their master, Tenzin had been the one who called out as he quickly power walked towards the two.

"Have the two of you seen Naruto anywhere I was hoping to impart a little Air Nomad history to the young man today."

The two acolytes looked back at each other giving a confused shrug.

"I'm sorry Master Tenzin I haven't seen him." One of the acolytes said.

"Neither have I" the other one added.

"Oh well he must be somewhere in the temple if ether of you see him please contact me at once"the airbender then bowed to the acolytes who bowed right back as they all headed off in opposite direction.

Only as a second later the wall they where conversing near started to peel down as one Naruto Uzamaki pulled back a blanket camouflaged in the same texture as the hallway and safely secured the tool into a neat fold before placing it in his back utility pouch...which wasn't a fanny pack!

 _"Hurricane to Slow Drifting Cloud, come in Slow Drifting Cloud, over"_

Ducking behind the one of the many corridors in the main Air Temple Naruto Uzumaki was also sporting the latest short range radio transmitters around his neck. Placing his fingers to the microphone headset that rested on his right ear, Naruto pushed down the talk button as he tried to reach the party on the other end of the frequency.

 _"Slow Drifting Cloud do you read me, over?"_

 _"…Naruto this is a stupid use of village assets."_ Shikamaru replied form his position which as it was outside on the grassy ground while looking up at his radio handle name sake.

 _"Slow Drifting Cloud am I clear to proceed, over?"_ Naruto asked not breaking his radio etiquette as he took his task at hand very seriously.

Sitting up Shikamaru held his radio in his hand not even bothering to wear it properly as he said. _"Come Naruto like almost every other thing we packed with us I'm the one who signed for these radio's from Lady Tsunade, I'm the one who's going to get chowed out if you break them!"_

Naruto ran down a hall way and hide behind a large potted plant, just as two Air Acolyte women walked right past him while discussing their current meditation schedule. _"Damn it Slow Drifting Cloud don't make me pull rank on you, over!"_ Naruto said in a harsh whisper.

Pinching the bridge of his nose Shikamaru sighed. " _You can't pull rank on me Naruto because I out rank you."_

 _"…Yeah but I'm the one who could send you to back to the Fire Country with just one roar,over._ "

Shikamaru just shrugged to no one really as he said. _"All right fine yes Hurricane you are clear to proceed, neither Sad Rainy Face nor Mean Tsunami are in your current pathway, over."_

 _"That's all I needed to hear, over."_ Naruto then ran straight down the hallway and clapped his hands together. Just as he was about to crash into a window Naruto held out his right hand that sent out a wave of vibrations that was powerful enough that it's motion clicked the window's lock allowing it to swing out.

With one dramatic leap Naruto quirk screwed dived out of the window and flipped onto the tiles of the temple roof.

From there the yellow haired bastard ran along the edge of the roof quickly preforming one final flip as he tumble rolled onto the grass lawn and power-slid up to a tree which he then quickly hide behind.

 _"Objective complete, I've successfully escaped from the temple, over."_

Shikamaru's end held lengthy static before he yawned back. _"Not quite."_

"Naruto!" a voice shouted right into Naruto's ear from behind as he spun around to see Tenzin eagerly looking back at him as he clutched a book close to his chest like a school child.

"Did you remember that you'd promised to at least listen to some of the stories of the past air monks and masters?" Tenzin asked as he began to flip to a specific passage.

Naruto let out a nervous laugh as he moved his lips to the microphone part of his headset and talked into it. " _Slow Drifting Cloud you said I was entering clear skies why is Sad Rainy Face right in front of me?!"_ he asked in a harsh whisper.

 _"…You didn't say over when you were done speaking, over."_

" _Forget the overs why is Sad Rainy Face here?!_ "

 _"Because I told him you'd be when he asked me about a minute ago."_

 **"WHAT!?"**

Tenzin found his passage as he looked back at Naruto slightly confused. "I'm sorry what about what?"

"Err it's nothing." Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he pulled his coms off his head and neck as he placed them in his utility pouch. "OK Sad Rain….I mean Tenzin go a ahead tell me a story."

"Yes of course I'd thought I start with the tales of Master Monk Tang Xu and his historical one hundred day fast."

That was all it took for Naruto to slump his shoulders in defeat and having a look of impending doom on his face as he murmured. "I have a feeling that this stupid story isn't going be over really fast…"

"What was that?" Tenzin asked legitimately as he pulled his book away from his face to see Naruto directly.

"I said why don't you start on day one." Naruto smiled through his teeth as he was seriously contemplating on stabbing himself in the ears with the throwing stars stashed in his back pocket.

"Well actually I should begin before that during the three days Master Tang Xu took to prepare for his fast."

"…..wait so you're starting at day negative three!"

If he still had his headset on Naruto would have heard Shikamaru respond back. "Ha and here I thought you were bad at math."

* * *

"Twenty seven thousand, Twenty seven thousand and five hundred, Twenty eight thousand…"

Standing in front of a very new, very luxurious Satomobile the airbender children Ikki and Meelo each held huge stacks of yuans in their hands that they were receiving from two men dressed as dock workers as the smaller of the two men continued to count out the money as he handed it to Ikki.

"Twenty nine thousand and five hundred, and this makes thirty thousand . Pleasure doing business with you Avatar Korra." the man said as he and his partner started to toe hook the automobile onto their larger truck in order to make their way down to the ferry.

"Wait a minute!" Ikki yelled as she stuffed most of the cash down her brother's pants. "That's what Korra got for her shinny new toy what do we get? We're the ones who found you guys in the phone book!"

"Yeah!" Meelo asked as he shacked his hips a bit. " What do we get."

The man and his taller partner huddled together as they started whispering looking over their shoulder's to see the children not ease dropping on their negotiation, they continued to murmur before coming to a decision.

"How about this you…" he said pointing to Ikki "Get these driving googles of mine, I've been meaning to get a new pair any how." He said as he pulled said eye wear from his neck and gave them to the girl.

"And you…." the taller man said pointing to Meelo as he pulled off his driving hat reveling that he was just as bald as the littlest airbender. "…Can have my hat us baldies need to stick together."

The cap was at least two sizes too big for Meelo as it covered his eyes and lumped down his head.

"…And on his ninety-seventh day of his fast Monk Tang Xu was once again visited by his pupils who continued to plead with their master to eat something, but he had refused..." Tenzin progressed to read from the passages of his book as Naruto slowly trailed behind him, the young ninja's eyes were twitching from boredom as his his itchy trigger fingers were right on top of his weapons pouch.

"...Just like he had each day the entire summer instead, he simply meditated, getting his nourishment from the universe."

At that moment Naruto was extremely close in yelling at Tenzin, about to say all the inconsistencies that were smeared all over this history book only to bite back his tongue as he saw the two movers getting into their moving truck. "Are they friends of yours?" Naruto asked this time having a saner reason to pull out a knife as he held it out of sight.

Tenzin closed his book and looked up seeing said movers but acted less cautiously and more curiously. "Oh excuse me but who are you gentlemen?"

"Just two businessmen finishing our transaction with the Avatar, Councilman Tenzin." The one who had given Ikki his googles said as he got into the passenger side of the truck.

The big bald one who gave Meelo his hat looked back at Tenzin and gave him a small node. "I feel your pain brother." He said as he ran his hand over his chrome dome again.

"What? I'm not bald I just have…." But the two men were already inside their truck as they drove down the wide path way trailing the smaller Satomobile with them. "…a shaved head."

Tenzin turned his sights to his two younger children as they both had engaged in a money fight by throwing yuans at each other. "Ikki what is going on?"

"Daddy, daddy look at all this money!" Ikki shouted as she began to roll around in the papers.

"Yeah we're rich!" Meelo shouted as he threw the money in the air.

"You two aren't anything!" Korra shouted from where she was training on a round plate from that sunk into the ground. "That's my money remember!"

Meelo and Ikki immediately stopped playing as they both let out a huff and began to gather all the money in a pile.

"Korra am I to assume that the Satomobile those two men took was another one of Tarrlok's gifts?" Tenzin asked as he was some what distrait at how his fellow councilmen's endowments were starting to get more extravagant.

Korra didn't stop her side stepping from the center yin yang symbol on the platform as she responded back. "Hey is it my fault if the guy can't take no for an answer." She of course was referring to the last items she turned back as Korra knew they were all just ways in order to join Tarrloks task force.

"Well at least you did something smart." Naruto said as he walked down the steps to the training platform and sat down on them. "Let me guess you're going to give me the money you just made for a down payment in order for me to teach you."

Korra immediately stopped as she faced Naruto. "No I figured it out that while selling a Satomobile wasn't enough in ordre to pay you it was enough for me to pay the ante for the Probending championship pot."

"And if your team manages to win in the finals you'll use your share to give to Naruto?" Tenzin asked the sound in his voice told everyone that he wasn't a fan of this plan.

"That's right." Korra said ignoring Tenzin's tone. "And I know me Mako, and Bolin will make it thorough all four rounds so there's no downside what so ever."

"You know even if you think that winning this what did you call it probending?" Naruto asked only to let out a small _you people suck at naming things_ under his breath when Korra nodded her head in yes. "Right well even if you win it still seems like an all full lot of trouble just to learn how to control the wind element why do you want it so bad."

Korra's eyed widened from that comment in realization. "That's right you don't really know what an Avatar is."

Naruto leaned over to his side as he used his arm to prop up his head. "I got the jest of it, you're a cleric or something that's the connection between the material plane and the one of thought and imagination."

Now it was Korra's turn to keep herself from trying to attack someone. "Well yeah but I keep telling you it's called the Spirit Word not Imagination Land!"

But Korra went on which impressed Tenzin as he was proud of Korra in ignoring Naruto when he rolled his eyes at her deceleration.

"Yeah but that's what I'm suppose to do I guess in your words that would be my mission. But what I _can_ do is **this!** "

Korra jumped into the air and out off the platform as she stood on the grass lawn which was also near a tiny pond. Placing her hands out she took in a deep breath and let out a quick inferno from both of her palms.

But she didn't stop their as soon as she killed her fire Kora then stomped on the ground shooting a large piece of earth out of the ground and proceeded to punch it smashing it into a million pieces. Satisfied at the results Korra moved onto her final act the one she had mastered all the way back in adolescents.

With her arms she commanded for the water in the pound to rise as it bend and tuned just as she did commanding the element in tantrum to her own movements before she froze the water into a spear and tossed it right towards Naruto, as it just missed his head by mere inches.

"Well what do you have to say about that?" Korra asked as she had the biggest shit eating grin spread on her face as she held out her arms daring Naruto to respond back to her.

"….That's it?

Korra's arms fell to her sides, lifeless. Her smugness started to leave her body as her smile turned into a frustrated frown. "What do you mean that's it? You just saw me bend three out of the four elements!"

"...Natural transformation."

"What?" Korra asked as she looked back at Tenzin wondering if he knew what Naruto was referring to.

"Natural transformation." Naruto repeated as he got up and stretched out his arms. "It's the ability to mold and alter the nature of your chi into a whole different property."

Korra looked back at Tenzin again who looked just as confused as before as they both looked back at Naruto.

Naruto slowly began to walk towards Korra holding out his hand as if he were clutching an invisible ball. "Wind." As soon as he said the word a few currents of air started to cycle through his hand until it looked like he had a mini air scooter in his palm.

"What are you doing?" Korra asked as her voice dropped a few octaves as she didn't like the way Naruto was approaching her.

"Earth."

Before Korra could asked again what Naruto was taking about her voice was lost in her throat as she saw the ball of wind in his hand slowly turn into grains of sand spinning and circulating just as before only to stop once the sound of the fragments of minerals started to harden and constrict with one another until Naruto was holding a round stone. "H…how did…that's not…."

"Fire!"

Korra jumped back she actually jumped back from ether the sound of his voice, what he held in his and, or the look in Naruto's eyes as he continued to march forward. Tenzin ran along the side just in time to see the stone in Naruto's hand turn from sandy to ebony as it started to crack and bleeded out lava that sizzled in the air right as it enveloped the whole stone and all that was left was a ball of fire.

"Lightning."

Naruto almost sounded down right sinister as the color of the fire when trough the viable spectrum starting with red and ending all the way towards indigo as the fire itself became pure plasma. The ionized gas still retained the ball shape as it shot out random assortments of electric sparks.

"There's only one left, Korra." Naruto stated as he stood just a breath away from the Avatar. The look in her eyes were a paradox as they held both fear and wonder. Her lips quivered as she couldn't or dare not speak the final metamorphoses of the power Naruto was holding in his hand.

But someone who wasn't effected so emotionally by this demonstration was able to utter the final form.

"W..water." Tenzin whispered as every thing he knew, everything he spent years trying to understand was stating to look extremely small and just the tip of the iceberg of truth compared to what he was witnessing.

It was then the lighting started to spin turning into a mass of white light before it stated to turn clear and held no color at all but became transparent as Naruto raised the floating orb of water close to Korra's face who in turn looked at the element as if it had betrayed her as Naruto turned his palm over allowing the water to spill on the ground.

Korra starred back at the wet ground and then at Naruto as she asked Naruto something that she never thought she would have ever even tough of. "If you can do that…if anyone from your home can do that…then what makes me so special what makes any Avatar special?"

Taking a step back Naruto could see Korra shed one tear as she took off and runaway from the startling revelation she came to.

"Hey wait a minute Korra where are you going?" Naruto scratched the back of his head as he looked at Tenzin. "What's her problem it's not like I'm a master level of some of those elements I only know how to use about three of them in combat?"

In his never ending journey of spiritual knowledge, Tenzin's head over ruled his heart as he choice not to follow after Korra. "I don't understand only the Avatar is able to bend all four elements how are you able to do that as well?"

Naruto rubbed his temple in frustration wondering if all he was experiencing right now wasn't some sort of cosmic retribution for all the hell he put on his own teachers over the years. "It's called natural transformation for a reason. As in I transformed the nature of one element…."

"…into the nature of another." Tenzin picked up as it was clicking in his head. "Astounding it's unbelievable to power you possess on top of your airbending."

"It's not airbending I keep telling you people it's called..."

But Tenzin ignored that last part as his heart finally got loud enough for him to hear. "And I know why Korra was so upset, I should go talk to her." Tenzin started to run after his ward but not before turning around quickly to Naruto. "When I get back I want to know more about this natural transformation power!"

Naruto shook his head wondering if he should have even showed that ability so soon and especially outside of a fight. But the yellow haired heart breaker noticed that both Ikki and Meelo were still there looking just as flabbergasted as Korra and Tenzin, but with the added bonus of having stars in their eyes as they twinkled in wonder.

"…No I'm not teaching you two either until I get paid!"

"Stingy!"

"Meany!"

Naruto for the life of him just turned around and started to walk away. "I guess it was a good idea I didn't show any of them that technique with the acorn."

 **AN: Next time that trick with the acorn but with a cherry**


End file.
